Political Science is the study of power, authority and governance in human affairs.

Our students and faculty examine the social, economic, cultural, historical, geographical and other forces that generate conflict within, and between, societies. Students will also gain knowledge of how decisions are made at different levels of government.

Political Science Electives

Below is a list of all Political Science electives that anyone can register for, because they have no or just 1 prerequisite. For a complete list of our Poltical Science courses, see the university calendar.

NOTE: Starting Septemeber 2024, all 3000 and 4000-level Political Science courses require 45 credit hours as a prerequisite. Additionally, priority registration is available for Honours, Majors, and Minors in Political Science.
Courses at the 3000-level usually assume that students have successfully completed at least two courses in Political Science including the corresponding 2000-level introductory course.

POSC 1000 Introduction to Politics and Government

This course introduces fundamental concepts and theories in the study of politics and government within and across states. The course prepares students to undertake more advanced study in all subfields of Political Science, and also provides a foundation for study in related disciplines.

POSC 1001 Critical Reading and Writing: Politics and Governance

This course provides an overview of foundational knowledge and skills to enable critical reading and critical writing at the university level. Students learn the elements of academic assessment of literature and information that is available in the library and/or online, and about the mechanics of analytical writing. The “politics and governance” content varies by instructor and is not repeated in any other Political Science course. All sections of this course follow the Critical Reading and Writing Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/crw.

POSC 2100 Political Theory

This course is a survey of the most important political thinkers and schools of political thought. The course will ordinarily cover major political thinkers and include a selection of contemporary political ideologies.

CR: the former POSC 2000

POSC 2200 Global Politics

This course explores the major features of global politics, including its intellectual origins, the role of ongoing and emerging crises, and how political actors confront global dilemmas through acts of resistance and acceptance. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

POSC 2300 Comparative Politics

This course is an introduction to comparative politics and techniques of comparative analysis across political jurisdictions. This course focuses on the differences between, and similarities among, a variety of countries and systems of government.

POSC 2600 Public Policy and Administration

This course outlines major concepts and issues relating to the fields of public policy and administration.

POSC 2800 Canadian Politics and Government

This course is an introduction to the structure and operations of institutions of Canadian government and the nature of political actors. Topics to be examined may include the constitution, Indigenous governance, federalism, parliament, political parties, political culture and elections.

CR: the former POSC 2710

POSC 3100 Political Theory to the 18th Century

This course analyzes major political theory texts up to the 18th century to examine questions such as: What is the point of government? What defines us as human beings and as citizens? When, if ever, is it morally acceptable to break the law? Is rebellion ever justified? What rights attach to us as persons? What does it mean to be free? What equality can we demand from each other and from the government? Students will be introduced to a variety of answers to these questions and their contemporary relevance to the study of politics.

POSC 3110 Political Theory from the 18th Century

This course explores the development of our understanding of liberty, equality and power vis-à-vis a close reading of important political theory texts, drawn from the modern and contemporary periods. Students will be introduced to the history and contemporary utility of these texts to the study of politics.

POSC 3130 Democracy and Its Discontents

This course introduces the field of democratic theory. Each week students will explore a different component of contemporary liberal democratic systems, including elections, civil society, participation, representation, disagreement, deliberation, equality, multiculturalism, technocracy, and economic and social justice.

EQ: The former POSC 3905

POSC 3140 Feminist Political Theory

This course examines feminist scholarship that has challenged previously accepted notions in political theory, including definitions of politics itself, the distinctions between public and private, the nature of citizenship, and the roles of women in civil society. This course considers different ways of looking at power and political culture in modern societies, examining themes such as gender and democracy, race and class, poverty and welfare, sexuality and morality.

POSC 3170 Religion from Left Field

This course examines modern, left-leaning (Marxist, anarchist, socialist) understandings, adaptations, and critiques of Jewish and Christian thought. The course considers religion not simply as an object of political analysis and critique, but as a contributing factor to the emergence in Europe of an influential body of post-Enlightenment emancipatory thought and political theology, as found in currents of Western Marxism.

EQ: Religious Studies 3520

POSC 3210 International Law

This course is concerned with the interaction of international political and legal systems. Topics discussed are sources, agreements, membership, recognition, territory, jurisdiction, immunities, state responsibility, and force and war. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3210

POSC 3215 International Human Rights

This course introduces students to international human rights, in theory and practice. Course topics include: the history and philosophy of human rights, and international and Canadian structures and provisions. The course includes an examination of selected areas of international human rights, such as children’s rights, environmental rights, and humanitarian intervention. It explores current and future applications of human rights. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

CR: the former Law and Society 3300, the former POSC 4215

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3215, the former Law and Society 3215

POSC 3220 Global Governance

This course explores and examines global governance and international organization, or ‘world orders.’ Work is guided by the overriding question: what are the politics, processes and impacts of global governance? From there the course examines the actors, institutions, and mechanisms that constitute historical and contemporary global governance. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

POSC 3230 The Global Politics of the End of the World (As We Know It)

This course explores how human societies have imagined, predicted, and faced the prospects of the end of their world. Students will study recorded collapses of societies, how law and public policy depend on environmental factors, the threat of modern and thermonuclear war, and current scholarship on planet politics and the Anthropocene. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3230

POSC 3235 The First World War in International Politics

This course explores the place of the First World War in International Relations. Topics to be reviewed are the international relations of the war, the place of the First World War in causes of war debates, and the effects of the war on International Relations and global politics. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

POSC 3250 Global Political Economy

This course studies the governance of global economic relations. The course covers the politics of the global monetary and financial order, international trade, foreign investment and debt, international development, and environmental policy. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

POSC 3260 Global Food Politics

This course examines the global governance of agriculture and food, and explores how new global actors, institutions, and policies shape the politics of food production, distribution, and consumption. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3260

POSC 3290 Human Security

This course examines political concepts and government policies related to international security contexts, such as the displacement of citizens, food supply issues, energy, information flows, war and/or the environment. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3290

POSC 3291 The European Union

This course is an examination of the EU as a transnational form of governance. The course will consider its origins, the operation of its institutions, its transformation from Common Market to European Union, and the ways in which EU politics impinges on national-level politics.

EQ: the former POSC 4250

PR: POSC 2200 or the instructor’s permission

POSC 3295 Migration and Security

This course explores how the governance of population movements, both within and across borders, impact international, national and human security. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3295

POSC 3300 European Politics

This course is a comparative study of government and politics in selected states of Europe.

POSC 3310 American Politics

This course examines the governmental process in the United States including the role of parties and interest groups. This course will also consider select contemporary problems.

POSC 3315 Latin American Politics

This course is an analysis of the forces influencing politics in contemporary Latin America with particular emphasis given to those factors promoting political change.

POSC 3325 South Asian Politics

This course analyzes the history and development of political change in a selection of South Asian states with a focus on the contemporary challenges that they face in a globalized political environment.

POSC 3340 Gender and Politics

This course examines gendered power relations in the political process in comparative context. Topics may include contemporary and historical political realities, political socialization, party organization, recruitment of non-traditional candidates and voters into the political system; voting behaviour; and the organization of governmental institutions and programs as a response to the feminist movement.

POSC 3350 Public Opinion and Voting

This course looks at the measurement and formation of political attitudes, factors affecting attitude stability and change, and the distribution of opinion in society. Emphasizes public opinion and voting behaviour in the United States and Canada during campaigns and interelection periods. All sections of this course follow Quantitative Reasoning Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/qr.

POSC 3355 Sex, Scandals, and Elections

This course considers questions related to political scandal and corruption in elections, focusing on voters’ perceptions, media coverage, and party and candidate strategies to deal with corruption and scandals, in an effort to understand the impact of past scandals and the potential impact of future scandals for voters and electoral democracy.

POSC 3385 Religion and the Law in Contemporary Canada

This course examines contemporary legal debates on the place and contours of ‘religion’ in Canada. Through consideration of a number of post-Charter Supreme Court of Canada decisions, as well as sociological research on different religious communities, we delve into the changing meanings of religious diversity in Canada.
EQ: Law and Public Policy 3385, Religious Studies 3385, the former Religious Studies 2850

POSC 3390 Political Parties

This course is a study of political parties in liberal democracies. Attention is given to the origin and development of parties, how they organize, multiparty competition and what difference parties make.

POSC 3600 Comparative Public Policy

This course is an examination of the relationship between public policy development and changes in the social and economic policy environment. Students will apply theories and models of public policy to a variety of topical case studies in established democracies.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3600

PR: prior successful completion of Law and Public Policy 2600 or POSC 2600 is recommended but not required

POSC 3620 Law and Judicial Authority

This course reviews and critiques traditional theories about law. The concept of law as a process of authoritative decision-making will be used to examine the function of judicial authority.

CR: the former Political Science 3521

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3620

POSC 3640 Ethics, Leadership, and Policy Analysis

This course examines the political, professional, and ethical trade-offs faced by public servants and other actors working to advance the common good. Students will be trained in moral reasoning and strategic thinking through exposure to several real-world policy cases on topics ranging from whistleblowing and the management of conflicts of interest, to the challenges of exercising leadership in professional environments that are politically and ethically complex.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3640

PR: Law and Public Policy 2600 or POSC 2600

POSC 3800 Federalism in Canada

This course examines relationships between governments in the Canadian federation ranging from high-profile disputes to efficient diplomacy. This course reviews longstanding intergovernmental stresses such as the constitution, legislative powers, legal matters, Indigenous governance, local government, sub-state nationalism and wealth distribution.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3800

POSC 3810 Executive-Level Governance in Canada

This course explores the roles of political elites, such as prime ministers, premiers and ministers, and executive institutions in government such as the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office, in addressing and shaping important policies and political issues in Canada.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3810

POSC 3820 Canadian Politics and the Constitution

This course examines critical issues of Canadian constitutional law. The development of the Canadian Constitution and processes of judicial review, as well as the legal development of federalism and protection of civil rights, are examined in detail.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3820

POSC 3825 Canadian Judicial System

This course emphasizes how the judicial system and law are intertwined with politics and public policy in Canada.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3825, the former LWSO 2000

POSC 3830 Indigenous Peoples: Concepts of Land, the Law and the Constitution

This course traces the historical development of Indigenous land and resource rights; colonial and Canadian law; and the Constitution of Canada as it relates to the First Nations, Inuit and Metis people of Canada. The developing concept of Indigenous law is presented within the context of the treaty process, Indian Act, contemporary land claims, the Canadian Constitution, and federal/provincial relations.

CR: the former Law and Society 3012

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3830, the former Law and Society 3830

POSC 3850 Canadian Political Economy

This course introduces students to major debates about the role of the state in Canadian economic development and public policy. Topics may include: the challenges of natural resource dependency, regionalism, globalization, and the relationship between Canada and the United States.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 3850, the former POSC 3650

POSC 3860 Media and Politics in Canada

This course focuses on the role, functions, and purposes of various types of media in Canadian politics and society.

POSC 3880 Newfoundland and Labrador Government and Politics

This course is a study of the government and political process in Newfoundland and Labrador. Topics may include electoral behaviour and attitudes, the party system, leadership styles, the consequences of federalism, and public administration.

POSC 3900-3979 (Excluding 3905) Special Topics in Political Science

This course will have topics announced by the Department.

CR: credit restrictions will be designated on a course-by-course basis

POSC 4100 Political Philosophy

This course is an introduction to the interpretation of political texts. Features historical and hermeneutical approaches to the study of Political Science.

PR: 3 credit hours in a POSC x1xx course or the instructor’s permission

POSC/LWPP 4220 Governing a World in Climate Crisis

Our lives are defined by the climate crisis and this is now a major governance challenge. This course invites students to engage with key themes: anti-colonial climate governance, death and damages particularly as experienced by Least Developed Countries, innovative “supply side” climate policy, worker-led climate action, transnational grassroots opposition to climate policy obstructionism, opportunities for a rapid just transition, and more. Students actively contribute to the debates via research-based policy briefs.

POSC 4230 Theories of International Relations

This course examines the major theories used to understand world politics and international conflict. These theories are explored through classic readings in international relations. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

PR: POSC 2200 or the instructor’s permission

POSC 4240 The Ends of the World: Global Politics of Existential Threats

This course explores the various interlocking existential threats that face global politics in the 21st century. The course concentrates on the origin of these threats, their likely effects, and how to avoid them. Each threat is explored as both a distinct political issue, and as part of an interconnected challenge to global public policy. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

EQ: the former POSC 4903

POSC 4245 Political Economy

This course examines classic and contemporary political economic theories and approaches, and applies them to pressing issue areas. We will ask questions about the dynamics of economic, political, and cultural transformations, paying attention to the political work of economics. How do specific approaches and, in particular, global political economy approaches help (or hinder) our understanding of contemporary problems and crises? All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

PR: POSC 2200, or the instructor’s permission

POSC 4255 Controversies in Political Economy

This course examines current political and public policy challenges from a global political economy perspective. Topics may include the global politics of the environment, food, development, finance, and/or security. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

EQ: Law and Public Policy 4255

PR: POSC 2200 or the instructor’s permission

POSC 4290 Politics of the Global South

This course introduces political issues common to various regions of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Discussions centre on global political and economic processes that have shaped the Global South, such as colonialism, the Cold War, development narratives, foreign aid and humanitarian interventions, neoliberal globalization, and the rise of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.

PR: 3 credit hours in Political Science or the instructor’s permission

POSC 4315 Democracy and the Phantom Public

This course considers the relationship between public opinion and representative government through a comprehensive review of theoretical perspectives and empirical debates in the study of mass political attitudes.

EQ: the former POSC 4320